Hill Tribe Trekking

"And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything"-William Shakespeare

A walking stick, high socks, water, bathing suit and flashlight. I packed my bags and mentally prepared for the next three days that I would spend trekking through the Thai jungle to the Karen Hill Tribe that would host us while we learned about the culture and life of the hill tribe people. I was prepared for the 3 hour daily hiking, the electricity-less village, the heat and the communal dinners, however, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it! The fresh air, the sweat, the scenery, culture and adventure. Besides a broken toe, some scrapes, bruises and a sunburn, I left the hill tribe with a much needed dose of nature.

Day One: Car Ride. Games. Market. Waterfall. Swim. Hike. Hike. Hike. Legs. Burn. Sweat. Hike. Sweat. Hike. Arrive. Village. Rest. Bathe. River. Sunset. Eat. Campfire. Guitar. Sing. Chat. Read. Sleep.

Day Two: Rooster. Rooster. God. Damn. Rooster. Wake. Eat. Hike. Hike. Hike. Arrive. Village. Rest. Read. Eat. Elephant. Ride. Bathe. Elephants. Water. Buffalos. Shower. Read. Dinner. Yum. Beach. Bonfire. Chat. Sleep.

Day Three: Rooster. Rooster. God. Damn. Rooster. Wake. Eat. Goodbyes. Bamboo Raft. Bamboo Raft. Bamboo Raft. Bamboo Raft. Capsize. Toe. Breaks. Bamboo Raft. Water. Fight. Bamboo Raft. Arrive. Eat. Car Ride. Games. Home. Shower. Eat. Sleep.

The hill tribes in Thailand are often misunderstood among westerners, even the larger Thai population are not educated on the hill tribe culture and way of life. So here's some short FAQ's to sum up and help adjust your preconceived notions about this unique subculture. 

Who are the Hill Tribe People? 

The hill tribe people are basically refugees from other asian countries mostly Myanmar (Burma) as well as China and Tibet. This migration occurred within the last 100 years when these other countries experienced political unrest. 

Are they citizens of Thailand? 

Many have become citizens of Thailand. The hill tribe people were pretty much left alone until the 1950's, when the increase in their numbers, extreme poverty, statelessness and threat of insurgency forced the government to create a national committee and provide more resources for educating and integrating the hill tribe people into Thai culture. 

How many hill tribe people are there?

Karen Hill Tribe (Myanmar origin) =300,000

Hmong (Yunnan origin) =124,000

Lahu (Myanmar & Yunnan origin) =73,000

Akha (Tibet & Myanmar origin) =50,000

Mien (Central China) =40,000

Do they speak Thai? 

Although many of the hill tribe people work in tourism or other outlets where they have to communicate with other Thai citizens, hill tribe people have their own language which differs greatly from Thai as well as other hill tribes. Each hill tribe has its own customs, language, dress and spiritual beliefs and this is sometimes true even of the numerous sub-categories within one hill tribe. For example, the Green Hmong and White Hmong speak in different and distinct dialects. The Karen Hill Tribe speak Karen.

What is there religion? 

Many of the Karen were converted to Christianity by the missionaries, with some tribes still practicing animism or being Buddhist.

How do they make their living?

The Karen occupy lowland areas, engaging in agriculture, including rice cultivation. They are also skilled weavers and the most environmentally conscious of the hill tribes - practicing crop rotation, thus preserving the forest. Many of them have begun to work in tourism by offering tours of their village and elephant rides.

What is the connection between opium sales and hill tribes?

The hill tribes when first migrating to thailand began to cultivate opium which proved to be a major source of income for the hill tribes. The lucrative drug trafficking along the Myanmar border is a difficult issue faced by both the hill tribes and the Thai government. Recently, the government has been working hard to eradicate opium cultivation by successfully substituting it with other cash crops, such as cabbages and fruits. 

What problems do the hill tribe people face?

Hill tribes have issues with citizenship, conforming to mainstream Thai society and the loss of their indigenous customs and languages. Furthermore, their placement at the centre of the lucrative drug trafficking along the Myanmar border has often put them in compromising positions.

Mae Taeng was the area where we hiked and visited the Karen hill tribe villages

We went to an incredible waterfall and got to swim and play, so breathtaking!

Village agriculture

A Karen village 

Beautiful trees and scenery 

We had to cross many of these scary bridges on the way, yikes!

Outside my window these cows grazed all day

Here we are getting ready for bed, all safe in our net. Besides two runs-ins with abnormally gimongus spiders we were unscathed. 

Toast and tea for breakfast!

Here we are making lunch!

Time for laundry!

The beautiful river that we would spend 4 hours rafting down to get back to the city

At night the local Karen kids sang and played games with us!

Here's the bamboo raft, looks fun eh? You should try it for 4 hours.

We got to ride the elephants and then took them to the river for a bath!

Me and my best friend!

The cutest little Karen girl!

Many dogs are stray but are treated more as communal pets that are fed by everyone. We had one dog follow our group for two hours from one village to the next. He slept over and then jumped on our bamboo raft and hitched a ride for several hours down river. He knew when he was home and jumped off the boat and onto the shore of his own village. Dog's truly know the meaning of home. We nicknamed him Vagabond for his spirited and adventurous nature.